Directives Determination preferences

For native COBOL projects, you can use a directives scan to ensure dialect-related properties for individual COBOL source files are correct. When you add a COBOL file to the project, a scan can run automatically to determine the required directives, and if they are not already set at the project level, can be applied at the file level. You can also run this process manually, at any time. For more information, see Setting file properties using directive scanning.

You can configure the behavior when invoking a directives scan from Window > Preferences > Micro Focus > COBOL > Directives Determination page.

Perform automatic directives determination

Determine the behavior when a COBOL file is added to your project: set the process to Always (the process runs automatically when a file is added), Never (the process does not run), or Prompt (a prompt is displayed to allow you to decide whether to run the process).

Dialect

Set the dialect directive on files

If selected, a scan determines all possible dialects for the COBOL program, and the 'dialect' Compiler directive of the most likely dialect is set at the file level if it is not already set at the project level.

SQL

Set SQL directives on files containing EXEC SQL

If selected, a scan determines and sets SQL directives at file level if the files contain EXEC SQL statements and the directive is not already set at the project level.

Unset SQL directives on files that do not contain EXEC SQL

If selected, a scan sets the NOSQL directive on files that do not include EXEC SQL statements but SQL is set at the project level. The directives are then not applied at compile time, regardless of any SQL directives set on the project.

CICS

Set SQL directives on files containing EXEC CICS

If selected, a scan determines if the CICSECM directive with potentially additional options (such as "Abend at run time") is required. If required, and differs from the directive set at the project level, the required directive (and additional options) is set on the file.

Unset SQL directives on files that do not contain EXEC CICS

If selected, a scan set the NOCICS directive on files that do not contain EXEC CICS statements but CICSECM is set at the project level. The directives are then not applied at compile time, regardless of any CICS directives set on the project.